Coulee Region Audubon Society

La Crosse 2013 Christmas Bird Count Results Saturday, December 14, 2013 From Dan Jackson on 12/17/2013:At this point, I have all but one section report and about ¾ of the feeder count reports in and compiled. As expected, with a relatively cold season and poor weather on Saturday, the numbers of individual birds is down quite a bit. This is especially true if it is compared to a relatively warm year like last year when there was lots of open water and waterfowl.  Given those conditions, we have a relatively high number of species counted. We counted 63 species on count day and there were also 2 count week additions. The especially unusual species include Carolina and Winter Wrens, a Gray Catbird, a Harris’s Sparrow, a Fox Sparrow, a Baltimore Oriole, a Golden Eagle, Trumpeter Swans, Swamp Sparrows, a Wilson’s Snipe, and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.  Check our CBC page for final results After the events of last year, this was a very special count for me. Than...

Waterfowl Viewing Field Trip Sunday, November 10, 2013 Starting at Noon From Dan Jackson:We will meet at noon on the street behind the Kwik Trip at the stop lights in La Crescent. We will head south and checkout the mudflats below the entrance to the Wildcat Landing in Brownsville and we will also stop at the refuge overlooks just south of there. This is not the date of the US Fish & Wildlife Service viewing event so it won’t be as crowded. This is a great opportunity to see thousands of Ducks, Geese and Swans.

May La Crosse Birding Hikes April 30 - May 16, 2013 6:30 am From Dan Jackson:The Tuesday/Thursday field trips are co-hosted by the Myrick/Hixon EcoPark and Coulee Region Audubon and will be led by Bobbie and Pat Wilson and I. They are scheduled for the first 3 weeks of May. Each trip starts at 6:30 and will go until about 8:30 (people are welcome to leave earlier if they choose). The Tuesday morning Marsh trips will start at the base of the rabbit trail which is located about 100 yards east of the Myrick/Hixon EcoPark building. From there, we usually do a loop through the marsh on the main trails. The Thursday morning Forest trips will start at the main Hixon Forest trail parking lot at the end of the gravel drive accessed from Milson Court. For those trips, we usually take the forest trail parallel to the road along the golf course and then take a loop into the valley before coming back out on the road. From Dan Jackson on 5/16/13: This morning, Pat and Bobbi Wilson...

January 2013 Wisconsin Birding Events January 2013 Wisconsin Birding Events Bald Eagle Watching Days January 17-18, 2014 This annual event takes place in Prairie du Sac, home of a large concentration of wintering Bald Eagles.  Events include eagle watching tours, presentations on eagles and other raptors, and birding and optics exhibits, and kids activities. Location Prairie du Sac, WI Contact Information Organization Name: Ferry Bluff Eagle Council Phone Number: 608-683-2453 Madison Audubon: Faville Grove January 1, 2014; 6:55 am We will enjoy the predawn light as we meander through the prairie, arriving at the marsh overlook by 7:23 a.m. to see the sun rise over the Faville Grove Marsh. We will spend the early morning exploring the winter marsh and surrounding uplands. Directions Meet at the old farmstead at N7710 Hwy 89. From I-94, take the Lake Mills/Waterloo exit north on Highway 89 about 2.5 miles to the driveway on the righ...

Prairie Chickens at the Buena Vista marsh Trips April 20th or April 21st, 2012 I will be leading a small group to watch the Prairie Chickens at the Buena Vista marsh (near Stevens Point) on 4/21. There are only 6 spaces available in the blinds that day and someone has already spoken for one of those. Therefore, I can take 4 more people on that day.If more people would like to go, it would be possible to schedule a second trip or to reschedule the trip on 4/21 to Friday 4/20. There are 24 positions open in the blinds on that day. If you would like to go on either of these dates, please let me know and also let me know which date or dates will work. I will fill the Saturday spaces on a first-come, first-served basis. If anyone is willing to “lead” a group on Friday, let me know. If there is a second leader, we could run 2 trips. If there isn’t a second leader, I will schedule Friday or Saturday based on interest. There is a non-refundable $15 fee for the Prairie Chicken View...

La Crosse 2011 Christmas Bird Count Summary Saturday, December 17, 2011 Check our CBC page for final results From Dan Jackson on 12/29/2011:Once again, I would like to say thanks for your help with this year’s La Crosse/La Crescent Christmas Bird Count. This year’s count, due in part to warm weather and also in part to a great effort by everyone involved, was one of the most successful in terms of the number of species and the number of birds seen that we have had in recent years. Ninety-eight people helped out with this year’s count. This included 50 people who worked by themselves or as a member of a team to cover the 27 sections of the count circle and also included 48 people who counted at 40 different feeders in the count circle. Our results were great. We saw close to 14,000 birds of 73 species on Saturday 12/17/11 and an additional 5 species were seen during count week (the 3 days before and after the count day). Highlights included seven species of owls ...

Waterfowl Observation Field Trip Saturday November 12, 2011 Dan Jackson will lead a waterfowl observation field trip. Meet at 1:00 PM at the Kwik Trip in La Crescent that is located just west of the stop lights at the west end of the causeway between La Crosse and La Crescent. From there, we will head south to the Brownsville overlooks and the Wildcat landing mudflats. Depending on weather, birds and interest, the trip will last 2-3 hours.

Myrick Marsh Birding 101 Wednesday June 15, 2011 After the June Pot-luck, we will do a short "birding 101" bird walk in the Myrick Marsh. Although the migrants will have already passed through the area, there are many interesting birds that nest in the Myrick Marsh. We will walk out in the marsh in hopes of seeing Common Moorhens, Sora and Virginia Rails, Herons, Geese, Ducks, Black Terns, Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and other marsh residents.

Wyalusing State Park Saturday May 21, 2011 On Saturday, May 21st, the Coulee Region Audubon Society will host a birding field trip to Wyalusing State Park. We will meet in the parking lot by the gate house at 6:30 AM and will bird until around noon. This is a very special birding location. Local specialties include: Cerulean, Yellow-Throated, Kentucky, and Prothonotary Warblers, Cuckoos, Henslow's Sparrow, Acadian Flycatcher, Scarlet Tanager, Wood Thrush, and many others. There is a strong probability that late migrants will still be coming through which means that we can and will seem many other species of sparrows, thrushes, warblers and other great birds. For those interested in carpooling, please e-mail Dan Jackson at DanJackson@LBWhite.com.

I-90 Adopt-A-Highway Clean-up Saturday April 9, 2011 Meet at 9 a.m. at the Dresbach Information Center parking lot just off I-90 in Minnesota. Plan on 2 1/2 hours of work and wear sturdy shoes and work gloves. Safety vests and trash bags are provided. We meet for lunch afterward in La Crescent. Call Mark Webster at 787-6398 for more information.

Buena Vista Prairie Chicken Viewing April 3, 23 or 24, 2011- Portage County We would like to find out if anyone is interested in making an early morning trip to the Buena Vista Marsh to view Prairie Chickens. We would need to arrive 2 hours before sunrise and therefore would leave La Crosse as early as 2:30 am. Currently, there are 18 seats available for 4/3, 22 seats available for 4/23 and 16 seats available for 4/24. Please e-mail Dan Jackson at DanJackson@LBWhite.com by 3/9 if you are interested in going and what days you might consider. We will make plans based on current blind availability at that time. This trip will include a walk of up to 1/4 mile to reach the blind. If anyone prefers to travel the night before, we can make arrangements to meet at the viewing location.

Mississippi River Waterfowl Viewing Saturday March 19, 2011 On Saturday, March 19th, the Coulee Region Audubon Society will host a waterfowl viewing along the Mississippi River south of La Crosse. We will meet at 8:00 am at the entrance to Goose Island County Park near the Goose Sign. This location is south of La Crosse off of Hwy 35. The road into the park is called County Road GI and this intersects with Hwy 35 about 1 1/2 miles south of the intersections of Hwy 35 and Hwy 14/61 on the south edge of La Crosse. Migrant waterfowl congregate on Pool 8 of the Mississippi R., and are viewable from either side of the River. Our field trip will start at Goose Island and then proceed south along the river as far as Ferryville. We will make various stops along the way to look at migrating waterfowl, Peregrine Falcons at the Genoa Power Plant, and any other birds that we can find including a potential side trip into the hills near Rush Creek. This trip is a shortened version of t...